Feeding Calcium Salts of Linseed Oil on Metabolic Status and Reproductive Traits in Grazing Dairy Cows

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of calcium salts of linseed oil (rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n-3) on metabolic and reproductive traits in high-producing dairy cows under grazing. Thirty-six Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned, in a complete block design, to receive ALA supplementation (0.85 kg∙day−1 of calcium salts of linseed oil) or to remain as untreated control (CON). The concentrate was formulated to offer the same amount of energy across treatments (CON cows received an extra kg of corn to compensate for the higher energy density of ALA treatment). A PMR + Alfalfa pasture was offered to all cows at the same time. A fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI) at 80 DIM, preceded by a Presynch plus Ovsynch protocol was implemented for the first service and later, on return to estrus, heat detection and artificial insemination (AI) were performed. Pregnancy diagnosis was checked at 30, 42, 60, and 90 d after AI. Blood and milk samples were taken biweekly. Treatment affected plasma cholesterol concentration (160.36 vs. 186.70 mg∙dl−1, p = 0.03, for ALA and CON, respectively) and on size of corpus luteum (CL, 17.6 vs. 13.7 mm, p = 0.02, for ALA and CON, respectively). Supplementation tended (p = 0.136) to increase conception rate by 200 DIM (81.69% vs. 55.43% in ALA and CON cows, respectively). However, treatment had no effect (p > 0.05) on body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), and circulating levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), glucose, insulin, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I). Our results suggest that supplementation with calcium salts of linseed oil could enhance ovarian function without affecting energy metabolism in early lactation dairy cows.

Structural effects of reedbed grazing and its cessation on reed-nesting songbird densities

Reedbeds are crucial breeding habitats for vulnerable songbird species.Irrespective of their protection status,these habitats may be threatened by organic matter accumulation,progressively leading to structural homoge-nization and habitat succession towards woodland.Managers prevent excessive litter build-up with various in-terventions opening-up the reedbeds,such as grazing,which may be detrimental or suitable for some reed bird species.We assessed the effects of extensive grazing by horses and its cessation in the medium and long terms on reedbed structure,and the consequences on reed-nesting songbird densities in Estagnol Nature Reserve,a pro-tected wetland near the French Mediterranean coast.We compared reedbed structural features between grazed,newly ungrazed and old-ungrazed plots.During nine years,we censused four songbird species in spring and collected water level data in the same survey plots.Grazing reduced reedbed extent,rejuvenated the vegetation with more short green stems on a thinner litter,and produced higher structural heterogeneity and discontinuity compared to long-lasting non grazing.Newly ungrazed plot showed intermediate effects.All surveyed songbird total densities were similar among plots while species numbers and densities differed.Grazed reedbed was more attractive to Moustached Warblers(Acrocephalus melanopogon)and Great Reed Warblers(Acrocephalus arundi-naceus),likely due to the large edges and the high vegetation structural heterogeneity.However,Moustached Warblers were more negatively affected by higher water level in grazed reedbed,presumably because flooding prevents litter foraging.The newly ungrazed reedbed was not preferred by any species.All warbler species were found under low density in the old-ungrazed reedbed,where Reed Buntings(Emberiza schoeniclus)were exclu-sively found.Food availability related to thick litter layer may explain this predilection.Common Reed Warblers(Acrocephalus scirpaceus)were found everywhere in similar densities.We conclude that reedbed management by extensive horse grazing and also its long-term cessation may benefit several songbird species.Within a context of wetland degradation and disappearance,both management strategies are useful to establish and maintain suitable habitats for reed-nesting songbird communities.

Reasonable grazing may balance the conflict between grassland utilization and soil conservation in the semi-arid hilly areas, China

Soil erosion caused by unsustainable grazing is a major driver of grassland ecosystem degradation in many semi-arid hilly areas in China.Thus,grazing exclusion is considered as an effective method for solving this issue in such areas.However,some ecological and economic problems,such as slow grassland rejuvenation and limited economic conditions,have become obstacles for the sustainable utilization of grassland ecosystem.Accordingly,we hypothesized that the conflict between grassland use and soil conservation may be balanced by a reasonable grazing intensity.In this study,a two-year grazing fence experiment with five grazing intensity gradients was conducted in a typical grassland of the Loess Plateau in China to evaluate the responses of vegetation characteristics and soil and water losses to grazing intensity.The five grazing intensity gradients were 2.2,3.0,4.2,6.7,and 16.7 goats/hm2,which were represented by G1-G5,respectively,and no grazing was used as control.The results showed that a reasonable grazing intensity was conducive to the sustainable utilization of grassland resources.Vegetation biomass under G1-G4 grazing intensity significantly increased by 51.9%,42.1%,36.9%,and 36.7%,respectively,compared with control.In addition,vegetation coverage increased by 19.6%under G1 grazing intensity.Species diversity showed a single peak trend with increasing grazing intensity.The Shannon-Wiener diversity index under G1-G4 grazing intensities significantly increased by 22.8%,22.5%,13.3%,and 8.3%,respectively,compared with control.Furthermore,grazing increased the risk of soil erosion.Compared with control,runoff yields under G1-G5 grazing intensities increased by 1.4,2.6,2.8,4.3,and 3.9 times,respectively,and sediment yields under G1-G5 grazing intensities were 3.0,13.0,20.8,34.3,and 37.7 times greater,respectively,than those under control.This result was mainly attributed to a visible decrease in litter biomass after grazing,which decreased by 50.5%,72.6%,79.0%,80.0%,and 76.9%,respectively,under G1-G5 grazing intensities.By weighing the grassland productivity and soil conservation function,we found that both two aims were achieved at a low grazing intensity of less than 3.5 goats/hm2.Therefore,it is recommended that grassland should be moderately utilized with grazing intensity below 3.5 goats/hm2 in semi-arid hilly areas to achieve the dual goals of ecological and economic benefits.The results provide a scientific basis for grassland utilization and health management in semi-arid hilly areas from the perspective of determining reasonable grazing intensity to maintain both grassland production and soil conservation functions.

Grasslands Response to Livestock Grazing Intensity in the Austral Pampas(Argentina):Testing the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

Livestock grazing has a significant impact on natural grasslands,with approximately one-third of the world’s land area dedicated to this industry.Around 20%of global grasslands are highly degraded due to overgrazing,affecting their productivity and conservation capacity.Best practices are required to ensure sustainable livestock production that supports biodiversity.The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis(IDH)suggests that environments with moderate levels of disturbance exhibit a higher species diversity.Moderate grazing can reduce the dominance of certain species,thereby enhancing plant diversity.However,concerns arise regarding the increase of exotic and unpalatable species under moderate grazing levels,complicating grassland conservation efforts.The impact of livestock grazing on the functional structure of grasslands depends on factors such as grazing intensity,livestock species,and environmental conditions.Variations in grazing intensity may increase specific and functional diversity under moderate grazing,potentially masking the presence of invasive exotic species.In the Austral Pampas(Pampean phytogeographic province,Buenos Aires,Argentina),grasslands face various pressures from domestic livestock grazing that endanger their integrity if not properly managed.Therefore,our study aims to investigate potential differences in species richness and diversity,functional diversity,exotic plant abundance,and the number and distribution of plant functional groups across varying grazing intensities.The IDH is utilized as a tool to regulate livestock pressure for grassland conservation.Species and functional diversity indices were used to assess the impact of grazing on grassland diversity.Moderate grazing increased species and functional diversity,while intensively grazed or ungrazed areas showed reduced diversity.Livestock presence influenced the balance between native and exotic plants,with ungrazed areas having higher native plant abundance and grazed areas exhibiting higher exotic plant abundance.Grazing also influenced the composition of functional groups,with grazing-avoiding species being more prevalent in heavily grazed areas.Principal Component Analysis revealed a clear association between vegetation composition and livestock grazing intensity.These findings offer valuable insights into effectively managing grazing intensity for biodiversity conservation purposes.

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Extensive Beef Production in Grazing Lands of Argentina

Because of environmental constraints,beef cattle was for more than a century the only viable farming option in the extensive semiarid and subhumid lands of Argentina and the main source of nutrients for humans as well.However,a growing concern and criticism have risen today about its possible negative impact on the climate and the environment.These worries tend to affect current public opinions,national policies,and international trade.Based on 40 beef cattle farms scattered across different semiarid and subhumid regions of Argentina,here we evaluated the impact of extensive cattle production on carbon,water,and nutrient pollution.Life-Cycle Assessment(LCA)and Land-Based Assessment(LBA)were the two approaches we used here to compare the environmental impact of beef production.While the environmental footprint(EF)resulting from LCA expresses the impact per unit of food,the environmental balance(EB),derived from LBA,aims at quantifying the impact per unit of land.As such,the EB considers both negative and positive impacts on the farm as an integrated system.Following standardized procedures,we evaluated EF and EB up to the farm gate,leaving aside delocalized post-farm impacts such as those of processing,packaging,and transportation that occur beyond the farm gate.In agreement with previous evidence,our results show that the EF tends to decrease as per-head production increases.Correlation coefficients and statistical significance were the following for carbon(R=−0.574;p<0.01),water(R=−0.561;p<0.01),and N(R=−0.704;p<0.01)and Phosphorus(P)pollution(R=−0.802;p<0.01)footprints.On the contrary,the EB seems to be highly sensitive,and as per-hectare beef production increases.Correlations were the following for carbon emissions(CE:R=0.955;p<0.01),water consumption(WC:R=0.822;p<0.01),nitrogen excretion(NE:R=0.948;p<0.01)and phosphorus excretion(PE:R=0.945;p<0.01).What our results suggest is that the notion of EF is useful to evaluate the environmental impact in intensive beef production systems,and the EB is suitable to assess the impact of the extensive ones.In practice,both approaches provide different perspectives on the environmental-impact problem and they should be complementary used.We concluded that the methodological rigidity of EF does not allow proper discrimination among farms in the extensive systems.On the contrary,the EB approach tended to be highly sensitive to detecting differences between individual farms and farmers,thus allowing the identification of successful options for extensive beef production in terms of public image,policy-making,and commercial opportunities.

Ecosystem Services of Grazed Grasslands in the Flooding Pampa

The Flooding Pampa grasslands are the last remnant of the Rio de la Plata grasslands in Argentina.Anthropo-genic interventions have led to severe degradation and,as a result,the ecosystem services provided by the grass-lands are declining,in terms of provisioning,regulating,and supporting services.We synthesized the existing literature on the ecosystem goods and services provided by these grasslands under grazing in different conditions and conservation status.We found that plant and animal diversity and primary production are the most studied ecosystem services,while climate regulation,water supply,nutrient cycling,meat production and erosion control,in that order,are less studied.Cultural services are under-researched.Continuous grazing and glyphosate spraying are the main drivers of grassland degradation.Controlled grazing and conservative stocking rates have been shown to reverse degradation and demonstrate that livestock production is compatible with ecosystem conserva-tion by maintaining regulating and provisioning services.As these management strategies are poorly integrated,improving their implementation will require important changes in farmers’decisions and the development of policies that create the economic conditions for this to happen.Research is needed to understand the conditions that prevent the knowledge generated from being transferred to producers and translated into practices that would improve the provision of ecosystem services.

Effects of long-term grazing exclusion on vegetation structure,soil water holding capacity,carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau

Grazing exclusion is one of the primary management practices used to restore degraded grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau.However,to date,the effects of long-term grazing exclusion measures on the process of restoring degraded alpine meadows have not been evaluated.In this study,moderately degraded plots,in which the vegetation coverage was approximately 65%and the dominant plant species was Potentilla anserina L,with grazing exclusion for 2 to 23 years,were selected in alpine meadows of Haibei in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Plant coverage,plant height,biomass,soil bulk density,saturated water content,soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)were evaluated.The results were as follows:(1)With aboveground biomass and total saturated water content at 0-40 cm depth,the average SOC and TN contents in moderately degraded alpine meadows increased as a power function,and the plant height increased as a log function.(2)The average soil bulk density at 0-40 cm depth first decreased and then increased with increasing grazing exclusion duration,and the minimum value of 0.90 g·cm^(-3) was reached at 15.23 years.The plant coverage,total belowground biomass at 0-40 cm depth,total aboveground and belowground biomass first increased and then decreased,their maximum values(80.49%,2452.92g·m^(-2),2891.06 g·m^(-2))were reached at 9.41,9.46 and 10.25 years,respectively.Long-term grazing exclusion is apparently harmful for the sustainable restoration of degraded alpine meadows.The optimal duration of grazing exclusion for the restoration of moderately degraded alpine meadows was 10 years.This research suggests that moderate disturbance should be allowed in moderately degraded alpine meadows after 10years of grazing exclusion.

Does nature-based solution sustain grassland quality? Evidence from rotational grazing practice in China

Rotational grazing is considered as one of the nature-based solutions(NbS)to grassland protection by natural scientists.However,its effects on improving grassland quality are still unclear when it is adopted by herders.Using a householdlevel panel data from field survey in two main pastoral provinces of China,empirical results from fixed-effect model and instrumental approach show that rotational grazing practices have insignificant short-term effects on grassland quality,but have positive long-term effects.In addition,rotational grazing practices can improve grassland quality when villages invest public infrastructure or herders have private supporting measures for more efficiency livestock production.Further analysis shows that herders adopting rotational grazing have higher grazing intensity,higher supplementary intensity and more livestock-house-feeding days,which indicate herders can utilize more efficient livestock management without increasing pressure on natural grassland.We also find that herders with pastoral income are more likely to adopt rotational grazing practice.These insightful findings offer policy implications on promoting grassroot NbS for ecosystem protection and resource utilization in developing pastoral countries.

Influence of rangeland protection and seasonal grazing on aboveground vegetation,forage quality and weight gain of small ruminants–a study in Thar Desert,Pakistan

The Thar Desert,Sindh,Pakistan is characterized by low productivity.Besides,economy is based on agriculture,livestock and mining,nevertheless,livestock graze freely on public and private land.The aim of this research was to determine biomass production and to evaluate the effects of continuous and seasonal grazing on protected and unprotected plots.A 45 ha protected rangeland area of Hurrabad in the Umerkot Thar desert was selected and divided into three blocks of 15 ha each.Blocks of the same size were also established in unprotected area.The data for vegetation biomass,canopy cover,forage nutrients and weight gain of animals in two seasons(spring and summer)was collected from both protected and unprotected sites.The results showed that biomass significantly increased in summer in both sites.However,the biomass values in protected sites were significantly higher.Similarly,the vegetation cover also seemed to increase in summer in both protected(90.7%±0.29%)and unprotected sites(39.2%±0.09%).The foliar concentrations of all nutrients varied significantly with season.The average final live-weight gain for does on the protected grazing sites during the 42-day period in spring and the 96 days after the monsoon was almost double that of does grazing on the unprotected site during 2016 and 2017(P<0.05).The study concludes that the protection of grazing lands during certain periods can lead to better production of vegetation and livestock and improve range conditions.

Long-term light grazing does not change soil organic carbon stability and stock in biocrust layer in the hilly regions of drylands

Livestock grazing is the most extensive land use in global drylands and one of the most extensive stressors of biological soil crusts(biocrusts).Despite widespread concern about the importance of biocrusts for global carbon(C)cycling,little is known about whether and how long-term grazing alters soil organic carbon(SOC)stability and stock in the biocrust layer.To assess the responses of SOC stability and stock in the biocrust layer to grazing,from June to September 2020,we carried out a large scale field survey in the restored grasslands under long-term grazing with different grazing intensities(represented by the number of goat dung per square meter)and in the grasslands strictly excluded from grazing in four regions(Dingbian County,Shenmu City,Guyuan City and Ansai District)along precipitation gradient in the hilly Loess Plateau,China.In total,51 representative grassland sites were identified as the study sampling sites in this study,including 11 sites in Guyuan City,16 sites in Dingbian County,15 sites in Shenmu City and 9 sites in Ansai District.Combined with extensive laboratory analysis and statistical analysis,at each sampling site,we obtained data on biocrust attributes(cover,community structure,biomass and thickness),soil physical-chemical properties(soil porosity and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio(C/N ratio)),and environmental factors(mean annual precipitation,mean annual temperature,altitude,plant cover,litter cover,soil particle-size distribution(the ratio of soil clay and silt content to sand content)),SOC stability index(SI)and SOC stock(SOCS)in the biocrust layer,to conduct this study.Our results revealed that grazing did not change total biocrust cover but markedly altered biocrust community structure by reducing plant cover,with a considerable increase in the relative cover of cyanobacteria(23.1%)while a decrease in the relative cover of mosses(42.2%).Soil porosity and soil C/N ratio in the biocrust layer under grazing decreased significantly by 4.1%–7.2%and 7.2%–13.3%,respectively,compared with those under grazing exclusion.The shifted biocrust community structure ultimately resulted in an average reduction of 15.5%in SOCS in the biocrust layer under grazing.However,compared with higher grazing(intensity of more than 10.00 goat dung/m2),light grazing(intensity of 0.00–10.00 goat dung/m2 or approximately 1.20–2.60 goat/(hm2•a))had no adverse effect on SOCS.SOC stability in the biocrust layer remained unchanged under long-term grazing due to the offset between the positive effect of the decreased soil porosity and the negative effect of the decreased soil C/N ratio on the SOC resistance to decomposition.Mean annual precipitation and soil particle-size distribution also regulated SOC stability indirectly by influencing soil porosity through plant cover and biocrust community structure.These findings suggest that proper grazing might not increase the CO_(2) release potential or adversely affect SOCS in the biocrust layer.This research provides some guidance for proper grazing management in the sustainable utilization of grassland resources and C sequestration in biocrusts in the hilly regions of drylands.

草地培育的内涵和方法

草地培育在草业科学理论指导下,通过一系列草地管理措施,解决草-畜供需季节性不平衡这一根本性矛盾,提高和完善草业系统的结构与功能。根据草地培育的作用目标或其尺度与属性、实施主体有5种划分方法。主要包括封育、休牧、划破、补播、施肥、灌溉、火烧、放牧、人工增雨、研学旅游、智慧管理、政策法规等,这些方法通过改变草业系统或其组分而融入草畜反馈机制。草地培育遵循产业化、慎重改造、综合性和尺度对应等原则,集成技术之间协同或叠加,效果达到超饱和或盈饱和,关键是确定生态系统对培育措施的适应期、响应期和饱和期3组阈值。草地培育建立以放牧为基础的边牧边育的模式,重视“有害”生物作为生态系统不可替代的组分及其资源属性,建设以草地健康水平为基础的标准化的草地培育流程,推动智能化、机械化、规模化作业,提高培育效率和效益。

草地放牧饲养要素分析

饲养牲畜是草地放牧的目标,放牧饲养牲畜是草地饲草资源利用的最有效途径。放牧饲养要素包括草地生产率、适宜载畜率、饲草质量、牲畜生长需要和采食量及放牧方式。本文对这些要素进行了归纳分析,目的在于推进发展草地放牧饲养理论并推导草地生产和保护性利用的关键技术。本文介绍了草地生产率研究方法、适宜载畜率确定标准、划区轮牧区块数计算方法及间歇休牧期和放牧期确定方法。草地放牧饲养理论:基于土壤和气候,改善草地生产和饲草质量,制定适宜载畜率,确定合理放牧方式,满足放牧牲畜最佳生长需要,并维持草地健康,实现“双赢”或“三赢”。草地保护性利用关键技术:放牧场或割草场施肥,调整适宜的载畜率,延迟放牧及间歇休牧,确切的划区轮牧体系,放牧场和割草场等量配置,二时段饲养模式。

甘露醇对放牧绵羊瘤胃、粪便菌群结构以及血清抗氧化和免疫指标的影响

【目的】探讨甘露醇对放牧绵羊瘤胃、粪便微生物菌群及血清抗氧化、免疫指标的影响。【方法】选择7~8月龄、初始体重相近(27.10 kg±3.55 kg)的健康绵羊10只,采用单因素完全随机试验设计分为两组,每组5只。对照组绵羊补饲不添加甘露醇的玉米面100 g/d,试验组补饲添加1 g甘露醇的玉米面100 g/d。在自然放牧条件下饲喂35 d,其中预试期5 d,正试期30 d。在正试期开始和结束日放牧前称体重,计算平均日增重(ADG);在试验结束日放牧前分别采集瘤胃液、粪便及颈静脉血液,采用16S rRNA测序方法分析瘤胃及粪便微生物区系;采用相关试剂盒测定血清抗氧化和免疫指标。【结果】与对照组相比,(1)试验组绵羊ADG、瘤胃液pH和氨态氮(NH_(3)-N)含量均无显著差异(P>0.05);瘤胃液的总短链脂肪酸(SCFAs)、乙酸和丙酸浓度均显著提高(P<0.05)。(2)试验组绵羊瘤胃及粪便微生物OTU数目、Alpha多样性指数均无显著差异(P>0.05);瘤胃及粪便微生物基于abund_jaccard近似距离的PCoA均显著分离(P<0.05)。(3)在门水平上,试验组绵羊瘤胃微生物无显著差异(P>0.05),粪便中厚壁菌门相对丰度显著降低(P<0.05),拟杆菌门相对丰度显著提高(P<0.05);在属水平上,试验组绵羊瘤胃中瘤胃球菌科NK4A214相对丰度显著高于对照组(P<0.05),粪便中未分类的毛螺菌科相对丰度显著降低(P<0.05)。(4)试验组绵羊血清免疫相关指标均无显著差异(P>0.05),血清谷胱甘肽(GSH)和丙二醛(MDA)含量显著降低(P<0.05)。【结论】在放牧条件下补饲甘露醇可提高绵羊瘤胃液乙酸、丙酸和总SCFAs浓度和瘤胃中瘤胃球菌科NK4A214相对丰度;使粪便中厚壁菌门和未分类的毛螺菌科相对丰度降低,拟杆菌门相对丰度提高;提高机体抗氧化能力。

放牧苏尼特肉羊甲烷排放影响因素研究

试验研究了内蒙古苏尼特肉羊饲养管理方式、补饲料粗蛋白水平、放牧制度对羊只甲烷(CH_(4))排放的影响。结果表明:不同的饲养管理方式,对CH_(4)排放具有显著影响(P<0.05),排放浓度为放牧+补饲>舍饲苜蓿>天然放牧,浓度分别为0.32%、0.21%、0.18%;补饲料粗蛋白水平对羊只甲烷排放作用极显著(P<0.01),CH_(4)排放顺序为粗蛋白水平14%>17%>20%,浓度分别为0.36%、0.28%、0.24%;人工草地放牧条件下,采取划区轮牧,还是连续放牧,对苏尼特肉羊CH_(4)排放没有显著性(P>0.05)影响。畜牧生产者可参考选择适宜的管理方式、营养水平,保证生产并降低CH_(4)排放。

人工混播草地土壤丛枝菌根真菌对轮牧的响应

为探究轮牧对人工混播草地生态系统中植被群落及土壤丛枝菌根(arbuscular mycorrhiza,AM)真菌群落的影响机制,以宁夏盐池县人工混播草地为试验对象,采用单因素随机区组设计,设置T1(无芒雀麦+新麦草+紫羊茅+苜蓿+菊苣)、T2(垂穗披碱草+新麦草+早熟禾+苜蓿+鹰嘴紫云英)、T3(扁穗冰草+新麦草+蒙古冰草+苜蓿)3种混播组合模式,并通过Illumina高通量测序和生物信息学分析,开展轮牧影响下3种人工混播草地土壤AM真菌群落差异性研究,分析人工混播草地生态系统中植被-土壤-AM真菌群落的相互作用关系。结果表明:连续2年轮牧对植被群落生物量产生了显著影响,与轮牧第1年相比,豆科植被群落的相对重要值降低,但禾本科植被群落的相对重要值分别增加了51.16%、81.25%和33.33%。土壤AM真菌中球囊霉属和类球囊霉属为优势属;与轮牧第1年相比,连续轮牧2年后,T1处理的土壤AM真菌群落Chao 1指数较第1年显著降低了12.35%,T3处理的土壤AM真菌群落Chao 1指数、香农-维纳指数、均匀度指数和物种数较第1年分别提升了20.73%、12.80%、7.69%和31.16%(P<0.05),说明T3处理的土壤AM真菌群落对轮牧的响应更加敏感。随轮牧年限增加,T1与T2处理的土壤AM真菌群落组成相似性增加,T1与T3处理的土壤AM真菌群落组成相似性差异较大。连续轮牧2年后,土壤养分对AM真菌群落丰富度的作用强度减弱,但植被群落多样性和植被群落生物量对AM真菌群落丰富度及其组成的作用强度增强;驱动AM真菌群落变化的环境因子由土壤有效磷(p=0.006)和碱解氮(p=0.016)转变为植被群落生物量(p=0.036)。综上所述,不同类型人工混播草地植被群落和土壤AM真菌群落对轮牧表现出不同的响应特征,其中以T3混播组合处理的效果较好。

青海湖高寒草原植被群落结构和水源涵养功能对禁牧封育的响应

【目的】探讨禁牧封育对青海湖植被群落结构和水源涵养功能的影响,对准确评估禁牧封育在青海湖退化草地恢复过程中的作用具有重要意义。【方法】对青海湖北岸高寒草原设置自由放牧及不同封育年限样地,分析封育措施对植物物种数、生物量、功能群、土壤容重、持水量及孔隙度等指标的影响。【结果】(1)随封育年限延长,青海湖北岸高寒草原物种数呈降低趋势,植被盖度、地上地下生物量均呈先增加后降低趋势,禾本科植物在群落中的重要值占比逐渐增加。(2)禁牧封育对青海湖北岸高寒草原土壤水分特征的影响主要集中在0—20 cm。随禁牧封育年限延长,0—20 cm土壤容重逐步降低,0—10 cm土壤饱和持水量、毛管持水量、田间持水量及总孔隙度均呈先增加后稳定趋势。(3)土壤容重是影响青海湖北岸高寒草原植被群落结构的最主要土壤水分特征因子。【结论】从植被群落结构的角度考虑,青海湖高寒草原禁牧封育年限不应超过7年,超过7年应进行适度干扰。

放牧对不同类型草原土壤碳氮及其稳定同位素的影响

为探究不同草原类型生态系统碳氮元素对重度放牧的响应,本研究以平原丘陵草原、平原丘陵荒漠草原和沙地荒漠草原3种草原类型为对象,通过测定围封和重度放牧下土壤有机碳、全氮、稳定碳氮同位素及土壤温湿度等指标,探究放牧处理对不同类型草原碳氮元素的影响。结果表明:(1)重度放牧显著降低了3种类型草原土壤有机碳、全氮含量(P<0.05),重度放牧条件下土壤稳定碳同位素和土壤稳定氮同位素值有降低的趋势;(2)土壤稳定碳同位素值与土壤含水量存在极显著负相关性(P<0.01),土壤有机碳、全氮含量及土壤稳定氮同位素值均与土壤含水量存在极显著正相关性(P<0.01)。重度放牧对不同类型草原碳氮养分含量造成了不同程度的影响,其中对平原丘陵草原影响较大,不利于土壤有机碳和全氮的积累。

不同放牧强度对短花针茅荒漠草原生物多样性的影响

生物多样性对维持生态系统功能与服务至关重要,结合物种、谱系及功能多样性理解群落构建十分必要。本研究以内蒙古短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)荒漠草原植物群落为对象,研究了对照、轻度、中度及重度放牧下不同维度生物多样性对不同载畜率的响应。研究结果表明:各放牧处理均显著降低物种丰富度、Simpson、Shannon-Wiener及Pielou指数。此外,中度和重度放牧处理均降低了谱系多样性。各放牧处理均显著降低了群落功能丰富度(FRic)、功能分异度(FDiv)、功能分散指数(FDis)及Rao二次熵指数(RaoQ);中度和重度放牧处理显著降低了群落功能均匀度(FEve)。总体而言,随放牧强度的增大,群落功能多样性呈现出逐渐降低的趋势。此外,物种、谱系及功能多样性之间存在显著或极显著的相关性。总之,对不同维度生物多样性的分析有利于理解植物群落构建机制,为草地合理利用及可持续性提供一定的理论基础。

放牧策略对土壤与植被的影响及土壤湿度预测研究

文章旨在探索锡林郭勒草原的可持续放牧策略,以防止草原干旱和荒漠化。从机理分析的角度研究不同放牧政策对锡林郭勒草原土壤物理性质、植被生物量的影响,通过建立数学模型优化放牧问题,以期找到在锡林郭勒草原可持续发展情况下草场内放牧羊数量的最大阈值。此外,开发了一个基于双向长短期记忆网络的预测模型,用于准确预测不同深度土壤的湿度,以支持草原管理决策。模型在测试集上的表现与实际土壤湿度趋势一致,其中200 cm深度的土壤湿度RMSE仅为0.2,显示出其在锡林郭勒草原土壤湿度预测中的实用价值。

转入草场对牧户草场放牧强度的影响--基于自有草场和转入草场视角

【目的】探析牧户对自有草场和转入草场利用强度的差异问题,从而正确认识草场流转真实效应,推动草场流转走向规范化和促进草原生态环境改善。【方法】基于对内蒙古西乌珠穆沁旗6个苏木(镇)的实地调研数据,采用倾向得分匹配法(PSM),分析草场地块使用权属性对牧户放牧强度的影响,并在此基础上运用普通最小二乘法(OLS)进一步分析不同契约安排对牧户在转入草场放牧强度可能发挥的作用。【结果】牧户在自有草场和转入草场上的放牧强度有所差异。转入草场后,牧户会降低自有草场的放牧强度,倾向于在转入草场上放养更多的牲畜;不同契约安排对转入草场放牧强度的影响存在区别。签订书面契约和流转来源于亲戚熟人可在一定程度上约束牧户的放牧强度,而约定流转年限对牧户放牧强度未产生显著的影响。【结论】在后续草场流转的过程中,要重点关注转入草场使用程度监管、增强流转合同的约束力及对新型畜牧业经营主体的支持力度。